Page 81 of Four Times Saved

Opening the gates, I let the birds that fluttered from the trees warning the other birds of our arrival, and the expansive garden with stone seats built into the ground awaiting us, brainwash me into thinking that we'd been reborn.

Sometimes we're willingly brainwashed, needing an escape from the reality we know. Hell, I even considered that Tyler meant the words he said, that he had no ill intentions toward us. I envisioned Ann-Marie and Lily outside in the garden drinking tea, reading a book, sun-bathing, while Tyler and us guys went fishing in the lake.

Yup, I did mention that our home is on a lake, right? The thing runs around the perimeter of the place. Yeah, I might have mentioned it. No escaping that one. So, there it is. I tried to let myself run away with delusion, but our decisions today have marred the future of our lives on this island. And whether or not Tyler meant what he said, he still manipulated us into helping him kill two people. There are still hard feelings there. I don't think that will ever fade. All this money spent, a whole ass island (well, not exactly, more like an islet) and we'll still be looking over our shoulders.

Lily's whimsical tone invited me to join in on her fantasy.

"I still can't believe this is all ours." Mouth agape and breathless, she looked at the acres of green, the sunset lighting up the dark body of water that I'd been struggling to appreciate, the serene ripples on the deceptive blanket in the cooling air, the garden nook her mother would love, the large glass windows and doors which beckoned to us to come inside and explore further.

But, Matt had other plans.

"There's no one here but us," he whispered, the unanticipated thought.

Matt grabbed Lily's hand, and when she gasped and looked up at him in confusion, a grin spread across his face.

"We can run free, Lily." He tugged her along, loosening his tie and setting one arm free of his jacket, only releasing her hand to set the other arm free. He tossed the jacket in the air with a wink. "We can run naked if we want."

She started laughing, and I could almost hear the night birds singing songs of awe as she dashed after him. Off they headed together in the dim evening. Wide-eyed, Ryan and Eric turned to me. I shrugged.

"Guess he's living in the moment," Eric frowned.

"We did the right thing, didn't we?" Ryan asked.

Her laugh echoed as we three stood together and watched Matt pick her up and spin her around.

"Look at her. She's radiant," I remarked, the soft light bathing her in an angelic glow. "She's free."

Eric looked ahead, a smile turning his lips up at the corners, and he nodded. "I haven't seen her run free like that, since, I don't know, we were teens? She must be really happy. At last." He took a deep breath.

"At least now we know for sure, her attackers won't be coming after her," I nodded.

Even as I said it, doubt crept in.

Ryan gave a voice to those doubts, swiping his hand over his short beard. "But do we know for sure that she's safe?"

He didn't have to say anything else. We were all on the same thinking wavelength. Tyler was unpredictable, and we weren't rid of him yet. And even if he meant what he said and we could start the process of putting what we did behind us, what were we going to do if someone else threatened Lily's safety? Kill them too? Was that what we'd become?

Chapter 36

Matt

Lily and I tumbled into the grass, dizzy from the human merry-go-round ride I put us both on. Her laugh put me at ease, muffling my doubts and fears. This was home. And I'm not talking about the house; I'm talking about this. Her freedom, her laughter, her total and complete trust in us, a comforting and unnerving thing.

She was on top of me, her short, messier than usual bob falling over her face. Her eyes twinkled at me, and I knew that I'd be the guard at the gate of this home, my home in her, for the rest of my life.

"You know I'd do anything for you, right?" I cradled her face; my eyes followed my hand over every remarkable feature.

"And I'd do anything for you." She grinned back.

Something inside my chest sprang free at that. "Anything?"

She nodded, lowering her lips to mine before I could ask her to elaborate. Her hand smoothed over my shoulder and down my chest. Her kisses grew more demanding. My hand stole its way up her spine. Did I mention that we were stripped down to our underwear, our clothes strung across the landscape in different directions? She was laying across me in sheer white panties and a matching bra, against the backdrop of the sunset glow, manicured grass and delicate verdure.

Irresistible.

I hoped there was electricity on this property, and it wasn't something we'd have to set up later, because bugs or no bugs, we were going to be here for a while. Although, I thought Ethan had separate plans. The boat guy was supposed to come back for us. But I'd rather stay here. I was already in heaven; I didn't need anything else. We'd spend the night in the grass if we had to. This island didn't come with wild fauna, did it?

Okay, we could spend the night on the floors inside, instead. If they were clean enough. I was thinking too much, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Once I started thinking, my mind would start drifting to dangerous places, and I'd like to live in this moment. Not this morning's moment. Not even a few minutes ago. Just this moment, of Lily and the knowledge that she was safe, here with us, with me, mine, ours.

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